Corporate / M&A

We provide end-to-end transactional solutions to our clients globally, helping them grow, develop and achieve their commercial objectives.

We act on domestic, international and cross-border deals of all shapes and sizes, and across a diverse range of industry sectors.

We support clients at every stage of their business life cycle, from formation, expansion by acquisition, strategic alliances such as joint ventures, capital raising and ultimately a sale or other exit event. Our expertise also includes advising in relation to post-merger integration where we can draw on our deep experience in employment and HR, commercial, corporate finance and data privacy.

Working collaboratively with a client base encompassing public and private companies, multinationals, entrepreneurs and SMEs, we guide them through the complexities inherent in corporate matters, while managing the risk profile which is appropriate to their circumstances and appetite. We understand the global, regional and local implications of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) and help our clients navigate this critical area across corporate transactions.

We work together across practice areas and global offices, leveraging transactional knowledge and subject matter experience to provide our clients with seamless support. Acting as a strategic partner to our clients, our legal services extend beyond a transactional relationship to offer support, legal insight and market intelligence when and where our clients need it most.

Get in touch with a member of our Corporate / M&A team

Our corporate services include

Corporate governance and advisory matters
Cross-border transactions
Mergers and acquisitions
Joint ventures and complex strategic alliances
Foreign direct investment
Equity investments
Private equity and venture capital
Corporate real estate
Restructuring and reorganisations
All areas of ESG-related law across corporate/M&A
Banking and finance

Our work highlights from around the world

Advising in relation to a £17m acquisition of a food manufacturing company with operations in UK and US.
Advising a Cheshire-based video games publisher, Merge Games in its sale TO Zordix AB
Advising on the sale of a civil engineering, environmental and ground control business to an institutional purchaser, consideration in excess of £20m.
Acting jointly with our colleagues in the US on the acquisition of a global freight forwarding business with operations in the USA, Europe and APAC, consideration of around $40m.
Acting on the sale of a specialist loss adjuster to an institutional purchaser, consideration of around £10m. The transaction also involved the creation of a specialist MGA owned between buyer and sellers.
Acting on various transactions on the buy and sell side (both in terms of share and asset sales) with consideration between £2 - £10m.
Acting for both target and investor in various early and mid-stage investment rounds.
Advising on restructures for various companies involving share buy backs, share for share exchanges, capital reductions, allotments, consolidations, subdivisions and debt for equity swaps.
Providing corporate governance advice to the boards of several large companies, insurers, mutuals and financial institutions.

EMEA

Acting in the acquisition of a 100% stake in a regional compliance, corporate service provider, payroll service provider and labour sponsorship company by one of the world's largest private wealth management, fiduciaries and corporate service provider companies.
Acting in respect of the restructuring of a regionally focused e-commerce company including the setting up of appropriate corporate vehicles as holding entities, advising on best jurisdictions to set up the same, and then undertaking the various transactions to ensure that the entities to be included in the group restructuring are held correctly in the names of the holding entities.
Providing advice and assistance for a regionally based high net worth family business in respect of the complete restructuring of their family enterprise globally including the setting up of appropriate holding entities, undertaking the transfers of all subsidiaries into the new holding entities, providing advice and assistance in respect of the tax and governance and control issues in and around such restructuring.
Advising the promoters/developers of two coal fired privately financed power plant projects in Mozambique (200MW and 1200MW) including in particular the detailed advice and assistance as to the most appropriate corporate holding structure, the best jurisdictions to base such structures, tax minimisation advice, joint venture advice including the drafting and negotiating and finalising of all shareholder and joint venture arrangements as between co-developer/promoters for the these projects. Setting up all corporate governance and ongoing operational and structuring arrangements in respect of the said holding structure.
Undertaking the restructuring of the internal governance regime for one of the GCC region's largest family conglomerates, including the restructuring of their family shareholders' agreement, family governance regime, creating a family constitution and setting up all arrangements in respect of the succession of family members into the business for future generations.
Advising on the complete restructuring of one of the world’s largest and most recognised high end jewellery brands corporate holding structure in the GCC. This included providing detailed advice on the termination of existing distributorship and agency arrangements and then the setting up of appropriate joint venture arrangements with local partners.
Providing advice and assistance to a large regional sovereign wealth fund on the setting up and implementation of an entirely new internal corporate governance regime.

Asia Pacific

Advising IT service provider Leidos, Inc on the Australian aspects of its USD 380m acquisition of naval engineering firm Gibbs & Cox, Inc, including a successful application for regulatory approval for the acquisition from Australia’s Foreign Investment Review Board.
Advising transportation software developer TTG Transportation Technology Pty Ltd the sale of its shares to Canadian firm Volaris Group.
Advising AXA Vie France on a range of corporate and insurance regulatory issues arising from the establishment of an onshore life reinsurance business in Australia, and on the subsequent termination of its offshore life reinsurance business.
Advising Australian and New Zealand-based business partners on the establishment of a joint venture company in Hong Kong and several subsequent transactions to assist with the restructuring of the corporate group.
Advising one of the bidders for the acquisition of a majority stake in McDonald’s Hong Kong and China franchise operations.
Acting as Hong Kong counsel for RL360° on its acquisition of Clerical Medical Insurance from Lloyds Banking Group in Hong Kong.
Acting for Price Forbes on its acquisition of Sino Insurance and Reinsurance Brokers in Hong Kong.
Advising Pax Holdings, an investment firm based in the UK and Hong Kong, on is acquisition of The Sporting News, America’s oldest sports publication (now an online publication and website).
Advising Wirecard Group in the widely reported investigations by the Singapore Commercial Affairs Department.
Advising Uber in the sale of its on-demand ride hailing service business to Grab.

North America

Representing a world leader in the development and manufacture of food ingredient systems in cross-border stock purchase agreement, including the drafting and negotiating stock purchase and asset purchase agreements, and negotiating executive severance and non-compete agreements.
Acting jointly with our colleagues in the UK on the acquisition of a global freight forwarding business with operations in the USA, Europe and APAC, consideration of around $40m.
Advising clients regarding employment, property, environmental and leasehold issues in connection with corporate acquisitions in the USA.
Advising officers and directors of a company acquired through a merger agreement regarding claims against entity based on alleged fraudulent representations in the merger agreement.
Advising a USA-based client regarding survival of indemnification rights of acquired companies under several operating agreements following merger.

Bermuda

Advising in relation to the construction, licensing and operation of Bermuda’s first industrial scale solar energy facility.
Advising in relation to the sale (as a going concern) of a major hotel and leisure resort in Bermuda to an international purchaser.
Acting for a consortium of local and international lenders in respect of the financing of the redevelopment of an internationally branded hotel in Bermuda.
Acting for the purchaser of a insolvent subscription TV company from the liquidators, including related regulatory advice.
Representing a domestic investment fund in connection with its purchase and leaseback of commercial properties.
Advising in connection with the restructuring of a domestic telecommunications company, including the squeeze out of minority investors.
Advising Arch Re on its minority shareholder investment in and related capacity agreements with Bermuda MGA Helix Underwriting.
Acting for Bermuda Commercial Bank Limited on its merger with Provident Holdings in 2021.
Acting for Randall & Quilter Investment Holdings on its divestment of its captive management business to Davies Group.
Acting for senior lenders of a Bermuda-headquartered multinational reinsurance runoff acquirer group on its secured facilities agreements.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Advising the vendor in the acquisition of a major Chilean card processing services company by a US corporation.
Advising in relation to the negotiation and drafting of a joint venture between the Chilean state-owned oil and refining company and a major petrochemical multinational for the production of mining industry chemical solvents.
Advising an Anglo-American fund in the acquisition of factoring and leasing companies in Colombia, Perú and Chile.
Advising on a major transnational merger between the Chilean subsidiaries of two insurance companies.
Representing multi-national commercial clients in establishing foreign subsidiaries in Latin America.
Advising major foreign multinational companies doing business in Latin America in relation with their commercial transactions, corporate structure, corporate records and employment issues.